Jewelry construction



' April 1957 H. PHILMUS 2,789,380,

JEWELRY CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 1, 1955 INVENTOR. HERMAN PH/ZMLLS.

HITOK/VEK United States Patent JEWELRY CONSTRUCTION Herman Philmus, White Plains, N. Y.

Application August 1, 1955, Serial No. 525,540

4 Claims. (Cl. 41-10) This invention relates to improvements in jewelry construction.

The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings, and which will be described hereinafter in greater detail, comprises generally a plurality of connected elements, each of which includes a stem having a bent intermediate portion, a loop on one end, and an enlargement adjacent to the other end, the stem being adapted to extend through the loop of an adjacent element and retained in the latter by the enlargement.

Heretofore, as is well known to those versed in the jewelry art, articles of jewelry such as brooches, pendants, and the like, were commonly manufactured by casting or otherwise forming a body member or mount of a desired shape, and subsequently securing stones, beads and other decorative matter to the body member. This required expenditure for molds, often very delicate and fragile, and also required considerable hand labor both in the body member forming procedure and in the tedious setting of decorative articles.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a novel jewelry construction which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art, and eliminates the need for casting or otherwise forming body members for articles of jewelry, as well as the laborious procedure of setting stones and the like in the body member.

The art of linking beads by interlinking the looped ends of wires on which each head is mounted is well known but linking produces a chain .and thus kinking is facilitated frequently resulting in opening of the loops and separation of the links. This is caused by lack of means for limiting the relative rotation of the interlinked loops about a single axis.

Hence it is a further object of the invention to provide a method and means to so link the parts that their relative rotation is confined in substantially a single plane, each loop being linked about a pin. This structure and method facilitates the making of a mesh which cannot kink but which will retain the surface contour imparted to the jewelry item in assembling, thus making it possible to produce limitless designs in three dimensions.

-It is another object of the present invention to provide a unique jewelry construction which enables a great many different articles of jewelry to be quickly and easily assembled from stock parts, which permits a manufacturing jeweler to produce a highly increased variety of articles with a minimum of investment. Further, articles of jewelry constructed in accordance with the present invention may be changed, modified, or custom-designed to suit the individual purchasers taste by persons of only ordinary skill, without special equipment, employing only common hand tools.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a jewelry construction having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which is simple in construction and durable in use, highly attractive in appearance, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and refer-; ring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements-.-

invention in an early stage of manufacture, and illustrating a later stage in dot-and-dash outline.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a slightly modified element constructed in accordance with the present invention, 7

also at an early stage in manufacture, and illustrating a later stage in dot-and-dash outline.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the element of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a plurality of the elements illustrated in Fig. 1, but at a later stage in manufacture,

and with ornamental members removed therefrom for clarity of understanding.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the elements of Fig. 4

with ornamental members in position thereon.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing an articleof jewelry construction in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing one component of the article of Fig. 6, removed therefrom.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing another component of the article of Fig. 6, and removed therefrom.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing another article of jewelry construction in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a plan view showing still another article of jewelry constructed in accordance with the present invention, with parts removed therefrom for illustrative pur poses.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary, side view showing a detail of the article of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a plan view showing the article of jewelry of Fig. 10 with ornamental members positioned thereon.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Fig. 1 thereof, the element therein, generally designated 10, may be formed of wire and includes an elongate stem or shank 11, and an enlargement or head;

12 on one end of the stem. In the instant embodiment, the enlargement 12 assumes the form of an eye or loop in-' tegral with and bent from the stem wire, but the enlargement may take other suitable forms, some of which will appear hereinafter.

The element 11, as represented in solid lines in Fig; 1,

corresponds to an early stage in the manufacture of an article of jewelry of the present invention. A slightly later stage is shown in dot-and-dash outline, wherein the stem portion remote from the enlargement 12 is bent to form a loop or eye 13. That is, the loop 13 is provided on the stem end remote from the enlargement 12.

In Fig. 4 a plurality of the elements 10 are assembled enlargement 12 of each element is of greater external di mension than the internal dimension of the loop 13. This,

Patented Apr. .23, 1957 of c'ourse, retains the loops 13 circumposed about the stems llandprevents disconnection of the elements 10.

The basic construction of Fig. 4 is shown in the article of Fig. 5, but with the addition of ornamental members or beards '1-7 and'18on each'stem 11. Moreparticularly, a bead or ornamental member 17 is circumposed about each stem 11' between its'loop 13 and bend 15, and an ornamental member or bead 18 is circumposcd about each stern between its bent portion and enlargement 12. In addition to their decorative function, the beads 17 and 18 serve as stops, the former limiting movement of the loops 13 toward each other, and the latter limiting movement of'the loops'toward the enlargements 12. By this means, the" loops 13 are retained in position circumposed about or receiving the bent stem portions 15 of the adjacent elements 10. While the enlargements or eyes 12 serve to retain the beads'18 on the stems '11, it is appreciated that the-latter beads may be otherwise secured on the stems, permitting elimination of the eyes 12, and that the beads 18 maybe viewed generically as enlargements on the stems.

Figs.- 2 and '3 illustrate a slightly modified form of element, generally designated a, including a wire stem or shank 11a having an angularly bent portion a intermediate its ends. On one end of the stem 11a is an enlargement or head 12a, and the other stem end is bent to define a loop or eye 13a having its internal dimension less than the external dimension of the head 12a and disposed in a plane normal to that of the stem. Obviously, a plurality of elements 10a may be assembled or connected together in substantially the same manner as the elements 10 in Figs. 4 and 5.

A further example of jewelry construction adapted to be produced in accordance wtih the present invention is illustratedin-Figs. 6-8. In Fig. 8 is shown an element 10b having an elongate wire stem or shank 111: formed with an angula-rly bent portion 15b. One end portion of the stem-11b is bent to form an end loop or eye 13b disposed normal to the plane of the angularly bent stem; and, an enlargement or head 12b is secured on the other end of the stem 11b. The enlargement 12b may consist of an ornamental stone in a setting, as illustrated, or other suitable device, preferably decorative in appearance.

A plurality of elements 1% are connected together with the loop 13b of each element circumposed about or receivingthe bent stem portion 15b of the next adjacent element, and being retained in position circumposecl about the bent stem portion of the next adjacent element by thehead 12b of the next adjacent element. The heads 1211 are necessarily of greater size than the internal dimension of the-loops 13b, and may be of sufiicicnt size to obscure theloops from view, as is evidcntin the assembly of Fig. 6.

To complete the assembly ofFig. 6, a plurality of links are provided, which links are preferably ornamental in appearance and formed at their opposite ends with a pair of eyes 21 and 22. Each link 2t) has one eye 2i circumposed about or receiving the stem 11b of a respective element 10!); and, the eyes 21 are disposed adjacent to and below the enlargements 121:, preferably being obscured by the latter. The other end eyes 22 of the links 20 may all be connected together, as by an ornamental member 23 having a stem extending through the latter eyes.

While the device of Fig. 6 may serve without modification as a highly attractive brooch or the like, the article of Fig; 9 illustrates the startling difference in appearance resulting from only slight modification of the device or" F 6. In particular, the article of Fig. 9 is identical to that of Fig. 6, with the'addit-ion of ornamentalmembers or beads 25,.each circumposed about the stem 11]) of a respective element 10b. In addition to their decorative function, the beads or ornamental members 25 effectively limit or stop movement of the loops 13b toward each other.

An additional embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, wherein a plurality of elements each'includes an elongatewire stem or shank 11c angularly bent intermediate its ends, as at 15c. One end portion of the stem 11c is bent to form a loop or eye 13c; and, an enlargement or head 12c llS fixed to or formed on the other stem end. In the instant embodiment, the enlargement 12c consists of a helically wound end portion of the stem 11c. As best seen in Fig. 10, the stem portion 27 between the loops 13c and bend 15c is arcuate in curvilinear configuration. A plurality of the elements 100 are assembled or connected together by oircumposition of the loops 13d of each element about the stern of an adjacent element, as seen in Fig. 11. In addition, an elongate member 28, having eyes 29 and 30 at its opposite ends, may be arranged to extend between the loop 13c and bent stem portion 15c of each element 100. More particularly, the members 28 may have eyes 29 engaged through the stem eyes and have their eyes 30 circumposed about the bent stern portion 150. If desired, the eyes 29 may receive the curvilinear stern portion 27 rather than the eyes 13c.

In Fig. 11, an ornamental stop member 31 is illustrated in dot-and-dash outline, and may comprise a stone or head circumposed about the stern 11c intermediate the head 12c and bent stem portion 150. The stop member 31 is preferably of suflicient size to obscure the loops or eyes 130, 3d and 29, and to limit movement of the same toward the enlargement 120. As noted hereinab'ove in connection with the enlargement 12 and stop member 18 of Fig. 5, the particular enlargement 12c may be eliminated, and the stop member 31 viewed generically as an enlargement on the end of the stem 110.

The article of Fig. 12 is substantially the same as that Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a jewelry construction, a plurality of connected elements, each of said elements comprising a wire stem, said stem having a generally right angula'rly bent portion intermediate its ends, a loop on one end of said stem lying in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the bent stem, and an enlargement on the other end of said stem lying in a plane parallel to but spaced from the plane of said loop, said enlargement being of greater size than the internaldimension of said loop, each of said elements having its bent stern portion extending through the loop of an adjacent one of said elements, and the enlargement of each element retaining the loop of said adjacent element on said stem, to thereby connect together a plurality of said elements, an ornamental stop member on the stem of each element between its loop and bent stem portion to limit movement of the loop of said adjacent element on said stem.

2. A jewelry construction according to claim 1, in combination with a plurality of ornamental links, each link having an eye on each of its ends, an eye of each linkbeing circumposed-respectively about the bent stem portion of one of said elements, and the other eyes of said links being connected together.

3. A jewelry construction according to claim 2, in

combination with an ornamental bead on the stem of each element between its loop and bent stem portion to limit movement of the loop of said adjacent element on said stem.

4. A jewelry construction according to claim 1, the stem of each of said elements being curvilinear between its loop and angularly bent portion, and an ornamental References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Doppenschmitt June 28, 1904 Hynds Mar. 11, 1924 

